Claws and Fangs Read online

  He nodded.

  Her gaze narrowed, and she realized why he wouldn’t speak. “Fangs out? It’s okay. I’ve seen them before.” She glanced at the bag. “I’m not sure how to feed you. Should I put it in a glass with a straw?”

  “Just bring the bag to my mouth,” he rasped, his white fangs showing when he spoke. They were long, menacing things. “I won’t bite you.”

  She hoped he meant that as she crawled closer to him and grabbed the towel she’d used on her damp hair. She settled it over his chest up to his neck, not wanting any blood to spill and drip onto her bed, and carefully put the bag against his lip.

  He struck fast, the sharp tips of his teeth puncturing the plastic, and she was amazed at how quickly he drained it.

  She removed it when he was done and watched him. “More?”

  “That’s good.” He licked the blood from his lower lip and fangs and kept his mouth open as they retracted, not hiding it from her this time. “Thank you.”

  “Sorry it’s cold.”

  “I’m used to it. We store human blood in the fridge at the club. Just don’t freeze it.”

  “I’ll remember that.” She dropped the empty bag on the towel, wrapped it into a ball and tossed it toward the bathroom. It hit the tile floor just inside. “Here’s the deal, Lethal. I’m not okay with killing you if you were being honest about what you do, and if you don’t kill people. I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt regardless of my inner voice wanting to bitch-slap me for stupidity.” Her gaze wandered down his body, hesitated at the sheet across his lap, then rose. “You’re not like the other bloodsuckers I’ve met, and it’s not just because you’ve got a rocking bod or beautiful hair.”

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  “I’m not dead either. You’re hot, you know it, and I think it would be a shame to waste you unless you’re a monster. I’m going to do a little research on you, find out if a lot of people have disappeared or died around that club you use as a nest, and if not, I’ll let you go. If I find a string of missing persons or death reports, you’re baked goods. Do we understand each other?”

  “Yes.”

  “Perfect. Now be a good vampire and relax. Do you watch TV?” She nodded toward the corner. “Sorry it’s not a big screen, but just having this place is a drain on my finances. I’m going to consider you a big serial killer if you try to escape.”

  “Fair enough.”

  She hesitated. “I’m going to check my clothes and grab something to eat. Behave, Lethal.” She lifted the remote, turned on the news, and left the bedroom.

  Lethal watched Lacey closely as she disappeared. He cocked his head, heard her bare feet on the carpet as she moved around the other room, and lifted his arms. The handcuffs she’d used were quality ones but he smirked. He could easily snap them. His arms relaxed.

  He inhaled slowly, breathing in his surroundings, and concluded that she’d lied. She lived alone but the smell of fresh air promised freedom if he wished to escape. A sealed location wouldn’t have much if there were no windows or doors easily accessible. His gaze traveled the room, saw where a cabinet had been recently moved, and he smiled. It didn’t belong in a bedroom, looked out of place. He guessed it now covered a window she tried to hide from him.

  The human intrigued him. His lass was a smart one. He listened to a microwave drone, then ding. He heard her sigh. The smell of a TV dinner wafted into the room and he grimaced. He wouldn’t feed them to one of the stray dogs who haunted the alley behind the bar, yet the sexy blonde ate it.

  He closed his eyes and tested the restraints on his ankles, shifted his legs, and knew he could free himself if he wished. He hesitated. He should just leave but curiosity held him in place. He wouldn’t hurt her, never would. He opened his eyes when she tried to sneak up on him.

  She peered at him with a hint of fear, which she believed she hid, and hesitated outside the door. He refrained from smiling. She was damn cute and that big nightshirt showed a lot of leg. A hundred things he’d enjoy doing to her filled his thoughts. Stripping her out of the garment topped that list.

  “I’m still here.”

  “I see.” She stepped into the room. “I worried the handcuffs wouldn’t hold you but they’re police issue.”

  “You’re a cop?”

  She blushed. “Uh, no. My ex-fiancé was, and he kind of left a few spare ones in our apartment when our relationship ended. He forgot them in my nightstand.”

  Lethal detested the jealousy that rolled through him at the thought of another man touching her. “What were they doing there?”

  “What do you think?” She lifted her chin. “That’s why I’m hoping my bed can hold you. He couldn’t break free, but he wasn’t a bloodsucker or nearly as big as you are.” She walked closer. “Do you know all the vampires in the area? Beth’s killer was average height, had short brown hair, and he moved really fast.”

  He shook his head. “I need more than that. I’m aware of those of my kind who have set up ‘nests,’ as you call them, but I believe the one who attacked your sister is on his own. Loners are harder to find since they hide in the shadows and change locations often. They’re like rats in the sewers. They only come above ground to feed.”

  “That would explain why the ones we catch always smell so bad.”

  He hesitated. “What was listed as the cause of your sister’s death?”

  “The police thought it was a homeless guy on drugs.”

  “That’s probably why we missed it. We take note of serial killers and murders that have the same MO or mysterious circumstances. Vamps tend to have a routine when they take victims. Her death was probably considered a random crime. Your team consists of family members of victims?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s how you’ve been successful in catching them. You know the details and locations of the killings.” He cocked his head. “What led you to my club?”

  “One of our guys dated a girl who talked about going there, and she suddenly came down with a bad case of anemia. He put it together.”

  He grimaced. “I see. I’ll have a talk with some of my members about taking less blood.” His chest expanded as he took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “What else do you know of your sister’s killer?”

  She cautiously sat at the end of the bed. “I have a copy of the surveillance video from the library. My ex got it for me before he decided to leave. You could watch it. Maybe you’ll recognize him. I left a copy at the club for your friends.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Were you telling the truth? Just be honest. Please? Will they go after him for real?”

  “Yes. We call them rogues. The days of killing for feedings are long past and it’s barbaric. They risk exposing us all when they take human lives, and obviously that isn’t something we want.” He paused when she didn’t appear to believe him. “The last thing we need is police investigating excessive numbers of missing persons or deaths. We live in secrecy, keep a low profile, and that’s how we survive. Otherwise we’d be hunted to extinction.”

  “You honestly don’t kill people when you feed?”

  “I don’t. There’s no need.”

  “I bet.” Her gaze ran down his body and she frowned, obviously not liking his answer.

  “The women who visit our club are willing, and I don’t hurt them. They all walk away healthy and very much alive. The woman with anemia should convince you of that. She would be dead if we killed everyone we took blood from.”

  “Do they know what you are?”

  He shook his head. “I can seal a bite mark with my tongue. I distract them and they never even realize I’m taking blood. They just think I’m nibbling on their bodies.”

  He noticed how her lips compressed into a tight line. She tried to appear nonchalant but failed. He wondered if it bothered her that he took blood unbeknownst to his donors, or if she might not like the idea of him with other women. He hoped for the latter. A little jealousy implied she might like him enough to offe